gender-blind wedding party

I was super-inspired by Offbeat Bride's post about the "Bridal Sidekick" boxes. The term is perfect for my bridal party because I have a guy in the party, and I wanted to stay gender neutral so everyone feels loved. I also wanted the box to exemplify the tone of the wedding.

We're in the mood to bring some rainbows, glitter, and colorful details into your life. It's a prismatic rainbow and colorful wedding theme week! This time we've got an Australian festival-style wedding with bird bridesmaids, knights, and coconut bras.

First we've got midway games, fire performances, and balloon animals. Then there's an underground cold war museum bunker, Fallout-themed decor, and post-apocalyptic catering. It's a fusion of carnival and the apocalypse that we can totally get behind! That doesn't even cover the fabulously redesigned heirloom dress and 3D-printed rings. And just wait until you see what happened with the helicopter ring delivery.

This wedding is a pretty easy sell: they had a BEER UNICORN! And vodka slushies! And ocotopus and mustache dresses! And tentacle fingers! And animal centerpieces! And the Cliffs of Insanity! We're dropping-our-pants-happy about this Texas-meets-Ireland wedding. It's too much — go on without us and enjoy!

With the rising popularity of gender-blind wedding parties, and weddings without bridal parties, we need terms beyond "bridesmaids" and "groomsmen" to refer to the people who are helping you with all your wedding duties. Here are a few of the creative alternative names for bridal parties that our readers and Tribesmaids have come up with

This wedding is such a testament to budget weddings and their ability to be completely awesome without lots of bells and whistles. But three things they definitely found room for were their three geek-tastic cakes: Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. You'll also never guess how one of the bride's brothers found a way to be present without actually being able to attend. Plus, we dare you to find ALL the geeky and bookish references in their epic, communal ceremony reading. So many references!

The rain may have threatened this outdoor wedding, but it couldn't dampen the spirits of these two. The keg and karaoke party must go on! Add in a casual vibe, a fun after-party, some R. Kelly karaoke, and what looks to have been the most fun wedding party photo session ever, and you're in for lots of smiles.

Butterflies, dragons, and cloud canopies, oh my! Yep, we said a cloud canopy… that actually lit up like a cloud! That and the bride's amazing monarch butterfly bouquet is only two pieces of the gorgeous puzzle that makes up this wedding. You'll also want to see the leaf guestbook, wedding mascot giveaway, and the fantasy geek soundtrack of your dreams.